It’s been awhile since my last WIPTW postup, but the hardware review queue had been piling up. Anyway, I managed to grab at least three keepers this week, and all of them were free at the time of this writing (though two have now have reverted back to full price-sorry about that). First up is Undead Slayer (free), a 3D hack/slashfest; Pinball HD ($1.99 with 3 tables), a realistic pinball simulation; and finally Time Surfer ($0.99), a side-scrolling slider akin to Tiny Wings.

Undead Slayer

Undead Slayer is a third-person-perspective 3D fight game with an array of exquisite features, attacks, weapons, magic objects, and story background to keep the gamer interested throughout. You direct the warrior through each level with simple control actions–tap in the direction you wish to attack, and he runs in the proper direction and starts slashing when close to an enemy.

While you can direct certain special attack sequences (for example tap-slide to quickly launch into the middle of opponents), mainly you (tap) chop and hack your way through the hords; while trying to avoid getting smashed, chopped, and otherwise destroyed in the process. One particularly cool feature lets you tap your character icon to instantly switch to a different fighter (with different abilities.)

Some levels include Boss enemies that will of course require better weaponry, defenses, and skill to defeat. You pick up coins and powerups along your path of destruction, but the real money is in Jade, which is not as copious. Have Jade and you can revive your character. In-app purchases (IAPs) can help you level up, of course; as in most games today, everything is for sale. A great game, but the downside is it is Internet only. If you have no IP connection, it simply exits (no warnings or messages).

Pros: Great graphics, action, story, and developed gameplay (written by a single devloper)Cons: IAPs are tempting, though not strictly required. Exits without internet.

Pinball HD

I love pinball and have several pinball versions (Real Pinball HD- Vampire, Pinball Arcade, etc.) loaded up on the iPad. They all provide a mix of tables to play, and all are excellent in their own right. Pinball HD is no exception, and in addition to the excellent table dynamics, it adds eye-popping close ups too.

Typical left and right side screen taps control the flipper action, which is sufficiently springy and responsive to mimic real flippers. The free tables offer various interesting challenges, like multi-level table sections and magnetic ball effects. You get three tables with the main app, and can unlock others with IAPs. Like Pinball Arcade, you can try out new tables before buying them.

Pros: Great Pinball actionCons: None that I could find

Time Surfer

Time Surfer is one of those games that becomes almost too frenetic to play at times. You might want to go stare at a quiet sunset to recover from all the action in this game. It’s a side-scrolling physics game and the control is much like that in Tiny Wings, though Surfer is a very different game.

The avatar in Time Surfer (looking like a little space-suited surfer dude) will dip and dive over the undulating terrain-sliding down a gulley gives you a boost in speed, for example. Right side tapping makes surfer dive, and left side will rewind (scroll back left) a short distance. Use rewind to undo a particularly bad move like getting surfer wacked.

The object of all the surfing and sliding is to keep up with the speed of play, avoid dangers, and grab powerups while zooming sideways through the levels. Very cool, yes, but often quite fast!

Pros: Interesting twist on games like Tiny Wings with more fun features.Cons: Hard to master at the high speeds the surfer will attain.

That will have to be enough fun for this installment of WIPTW, but I promise not to take such a long break before getting around to the next one. I recommend all three of these games without hesitation. You can grab them at the links above!

What are you playing this week? Let us know in our comments section below!